Bishops 'disappointed' by Federal court's ruling on same-sex marriage

Texas' Roman Catholic Bishops issued a statement expressing disappointment at the decision by the Federal District Court in San Antonio to strike down the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage that voters approved in 2005. This is the latest maneuver in an unfortunate campaign to redefine marriage as a legal endorsement of individual lifestyles rather than as a sacred and beneficial social institution between one man and one woman. This campaign totally ignores the rights of children to know their father’s love and their mother’s love.

While we maintain the deepest love and compassion for all our brothers and sisters, we also recognize that the institution of marriage acts as the foundational unit of society and culture. For centuries, societies have upheld marriage as a public institution between a man and a woman because of its unique and essential contribution to establishing families and ensuring the common good.

No new civil definition of marriage can change what is rooted in the very nature of human beings or what has been revealed by God to be a fundamental and sacred institution within society and the community of the Church. We are hopeful that an objective review of the ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will recognize the fundamental purpose of marriage in society and affirm the right of the people of Texas to continue upholding marriage as a union between one man and one woman.